


Guilty pleasures

by lostinprocrastination



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-23
Updated: 2014-06-23
Packaged: 2018-02-05 22:43:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,483
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1834903
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lostinprocrastination/pseuds/lostinprocrastination
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This started with an anon prompt - Emma and Killian keeping their relationship a secret from everybody, and get caught by Regina while making out - I got a few days ago and it wasn't supposed to get this big, but I really loved it and I am apparently incapable of not painting the bigger picture/being succinct/writing away like my life depended on it...I hope you guys like it!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

"Swan, are you sure about this?"

"Yeah, no, we're good, just don't touch anything that will make it move or turn on the radio" she says, motioning to the bug's panel and the gear stick, "and  _definitely_  don't touch the horn! Actually, don't even get near the horn...you know what, maybe we should just try the backseat..."

"Do we even fit in there?" His incredulity is actually hilarious.

"Oh please! The big bad pirate has never been with a woman in a small confined space? I find that very hard to believe..."

She doesn't even let him answer before she pulls his body flush against hers and starts to kiss him hungrily, enticingly, knowing he's never able to resist her like this, so willing and ready. To seal the deal, she puts on a wicked smile and uses the most seductive voice her own breathlessness can muster.

"Don't worry, Killian, I've done this before...just let me guide you through it!"

Now her mouth is on his neck and her hands are  _everywhere_ , and he knows he has to move fast before he's too far gone. With the little strength and willpower he has left, he untangles himself from her and puts a few good inches between them, making her frown.

"What the hell? What's wrong?"

"Alright, love, don't get me wrong, but as much as I find this sneaking out situation we have going on here incredibly sexy because believe me, I do, this...this is too much."

"Well then what do you suggest we do? I can't exactly go see you at Granny's or take you out of town without raising suspicion, now can I?"

No, he supposes she can't. Because they'd inadvertently brought back Robin's supposedly dead wife from their little trip to the Enchanted Forest of the past, they can't just go around flaunting their happiness to Regina. That means keeping their relationship secret not only to the mayor, but everyone else in this bloody small town where everyone knows each other and no-one can keep a secret, starting with Emma's own mother. He understands that and is actually thrilled, because even having a relationship at all under these circumstances means that Emma has indeed finally and irrevocably opened herself to love and to him. No, this isn't what his sudden distance is about. But she doesn't know it yet, so she continues with her half-plea, half-apology.

"I mean, I know stealing kisses in the back alley or spending the night in my car aren't the most romantic of scenarios, but there's not much else we can do at this point!"  _Unless we don't do this at all_ , she thinks, and panic quickly spreads through her. He doesn't remember her ever showing him more vulnerability than she is right now and curses himself for making his Swan feel like this even for a few moments. He takes solace in the fact that it's gonna be over soon, because she's given him his cue.

"Ah! Speaking of romance, would the lady open her vehicle's trunk, if she pleases."

She's confused but does what she's told, popping the hood open and revealing thick blankets, a couple of bottles of rum and a battery-powered lamp. Emma's not sure whether she's more touched by the gesture, relieved that this isn't going the way she feared or miffed that she ever thought that the man beside her would ever be like every other man before him.

"When did you put this here?"

" _Weeeeell_ ", he starts, with a sheepish expression that is barely masking his pride, "you know how you told me this morning we would be coming here to these woods in the middle of the night when the only people awake are at The Rabbit Hole, which is on the other side of town?"

"Yeah?"

"I  _may_  have said to the little Hood lad that it would be fun to push that annoying box that screams there's a fire at the inn while yours truly was supposedly at the docks!"

"And with everyone gathered around the sheriff", she points to herself, "and the building you had no problem getting my keys from the station and loading the trunk without being seen. Nice!"

"Pirate!" Wink.

As she smiles and gets closer she remembers that no, wait,  _because_  she is the sheriff she shouldn't condone this sort of behavior. "You know pushing a fire alarm without a fire is a crime though, right?"

"Surely you wouldn't arrest a  _child_ , Swan!"

"Oh no, not a child", she growls playfully. "The confessed adult mastermind behind it, however..."

"...has a hook for a hand while your fire weapon is back inside the car, out of immediate reach." How he manages to sound so menacing and sexy at the same time, she'll never know. But hey, she has moves too.

"That may be" she starts, reaching into her back pocket and coming up with a pair of handcuffs, "but I have these!"

"Oooh!" His lips are puckered exaggeratedly and they quickly morph into a playful grin. "It's been a while, Swan, I was beginning to think you weren't as into this as I thought!"

She comes closer, and with a click one of the cuffs is neatly locked around his right wrist. "Well you were beginning to think wrong!"

"You do know how these work though, right? I  _am_  still free!"

Moving her left hand up from his wrist to lay on his shoulder, she grabs his left arm for balance and gets her mouth to his ear to whisper. "Then we'd better unload the trunk and go find just the  _perfect_  spot to get them to fulfill their purpose!"

"Hmmmmmmm..." He bites his lower lip playfully and close his eyes in anticipation. "As you wish!"

Their provisions in his arms, he gives her a quick peck on the cheek and practically  _skips_  further into the woods, the still free cuff bouncing back and forth and shining under the moonlight. She can't contain her laughter as she's right behind, following  _him_  for once.


	2. Chapter 2

"Okay, so you got the bottles in the fridge, the diapers in the cupboard in the nursery, and don't forget to use the thermometer to check the water's temperature before you give him a bath!" Snow is pointing at everything she's mentioning, all the while with her eyes closed trying to figure out if there's anything she may have forgotten.

"It shouldn't be above 100 degrees", Emma sighed impatiently. "I know, mom, I haven't lost the memories of raising Henry, you know!"

"Oh, that's right!" Feeling a pang of guilt, Snow forgets her task for a minute and starts stammering uncomfortably. "I'm so sorry, Emma, I didn't mean to-"

"Mom, it's fine, really...I now think about them as happy memories I'm glad to have been given! Besides, they do come in handy when my parents are going on a well-deserved weekend getaway and leave me in charge of my baby brother!" Emma's smile is genuine and Snow smiles back. "All I'm saying is I don't need to be given instructions on how to take care of a baby. I know how."

"I know. I know, it just...feels weird leaving him without it being a matter of life or death."

"Yeah, but you guys do deserve a break, and lucky for you you have plenty of people in this town who would give their own lives before anything happens to little Neal." Emma's eyes are all confidence and determination as she looks at her mother. "And I'm sitting at the top of that list."

"That you are" says Charming, who at that moment arrives back at the loft from loading their bags into his truck. "Ready to go, Mary Margaret?"

"Yeah. I was just giving Emma some last-minute recommendations, which she doesn't even need!" Both women laugh and Charming smiles. He doesn't know what this is about, but he knows it's good.

"Okay." then he turns to his daughter. "Oh, speaking of recommendations, don't let Killian wear the hook around the baby, alright?"

Now it's Emma's turn to stammer. "Wait, what? Killian? Wh-why would he even be here? I haven't invited him!"

"No, I ran into him when I was filling up the gas tank just now and I told him he should come over sometime to keep you company. You know, since Henry will be at Regina's and this guy over here doesn't talk yet" he says, pointing at baby Neal in Snow's arms.

"Oh. That's..."  _convenient_. "That's good thinking. Thanks, dad."

"Sure. No problem." Charming's smile is straight-forward, without any meaning behind it that Emma can tell. Nah, he doesn't know anything.  _Phew._

As her parents say goodbye to her baby brother, Emma mentally slaps herself for not thinking about having Killian over herself. It's perfect, really - to everyone else it will look like he's only helping her babysit, and a three-month-old won't even know what he's seeing, let alone tell anyone about them holding each other or kissing. And hey, even if he interrupts them in the middle of the night a bed is much more comfortable than the woods any day - even if it's the single bed in her old room, because there's  _no way_  they're using her parents' - no matter how amazing and romantic that first night was.

"Emma. Emma?" It's her father's voice that pulls her back to reality. "We're going!"

"Oh! Right!" She hugs them both tight. "Have a safe drive, you two, and have fun! You guys deserve it!"

"Thanks, sweetheart" says her dad kissing the top of her head, which he has carefully cradled in his right hand.

"Bye, Emma! You have fun too!" With that, Snow is already at the door with her hand held out to Charming. He promptly takes it and they leave just as Emma moves towards the baby seat on the couch to get her brother.

"Oh we will have fun, won't we, Neal?" She's cooing to him and for a second wonders what is it about babies that makes everyone automatically act this way. "Yes we are! Yes we are!"

Once Charming and Snow are at the truck they take a look at their window to see their two children looking down at them. They get inside smiling and in no more than a few moments they're already disappearing on the horizon. Snow makes sure they're out of sight before she speaks.

"David, do you think we'd be as bad as Emma and Killian if we had to lie about being together?"

"I don't know how anyone could, to be honest. You should have seen him when I said he should go see her, he was speechless and his face was so red!"

"Oh my God, that poor thing", she says with a laugh. "Well, at least they have a whole apartment to themselves for a few days instead of having to go to the woods, 'cause  _that_  can't be comfortable!"

The realization of what his wife means makes his face contort in disgust. "Oh, oh God, you don't think they would...you know...with the baby there, do you?"

"Not in the same room, no, but why not? We do!"

He stays silent for the rest of their 90-minute drive.

The rest of their weekend goes  _very_  well though.

So does Killian and Emma's.

* * *

"Ah!"

She can't help the whimper that leaves her throat because honestly,  _who gave him the right_  to suck on the curve of her neck like that while pressing her against a stack of dusty old books in the back of the Geology section at the library?

"Killian, please, you have to stop!"

"Now why would I, love, when when you are clearly loving this", he whispers in her ear, "and so am I?"

"Yeah", she agrees with a moan, "but this is a public library, someone could walk in on us at any minute!"

"Oh, Swan, you do this  _every time_!" He puts some distance between them with a sigh and suddenly she regrets ever bringing this up. "We're already in the most secluded area of this entire building - this according to you, I might add - and nobody seems to ever be here except for Belle anyway!"

He's not wrong, but she isn't one to accept defeat so soon, even in a discussion she would gladly lose.

"Well, Henry is here sometimes..."

"Yes, asking for specific volumes that the librarian fetches for him and then he leaves. Besides, from what you explained to me about this Geology thing, it doesn't sound like something he would want."

"Well no, but..."

_Fine._  Time to change tactics. "Okay, okay, then use your stakeout skills. Is there anyone anywhere near here?"

They stand still, and she tries to hear anything that isn't their breathing. Nothing. Thinking of it, she doesn't even hear Belle typing on her laptop or talking to someone in the distance. Huh. This really must be even more secluded than she thought.

"Yeah, I guess you're right, we're alone!" She tries to sound annoyed but she already has a smile on her face.

"Okay, good, because between you having the lad over and these bloody boys and girls night outs and what have you I  _really_  missed you over the past few days!"

"Oh", she raises one of her eyebrows and smirks, "so now you're gonna tell me you don't like drinking and hanging out with the guys?"

"Not at all, I enjoy it thoroughly! I just prefer to, you know, enjoy  _you_  thoroughly!"

He's giving her his best overconfident smirk and her laugh comes loud and easy, Belle or anyone else be damned. "You are such a dork!"

"One day you're gonna have to let me know exactly what this word you keep calling me means, Swan", he says, moving forward and once more pressing her against the books, "but right now my lips have been off you for too long!"

As he traces a path of kisses trailing down below her chin and up the other side of her neck, his hand tries to undo the buttons of her shirt.

She helps him.

Across the street, Belle makes her way to Granny's. When the little bell on the door rings, Ruby frowns in confusion.

"Hey! What are you doing here so early? It's still noon!"

"I know, but they're in the library and I thought of how hard she tried not to show how badly she missed him last night at the bar so I decided to give them some privacy!"

"Wait, but...you just locked them in there and left?" Ruby is equal parts incredulous and amused.

"Yeah, I've done it a couple times", Belle says nonchalantly. "Trust me, they won't even know."

Ruby's mouth drops open and she's unable to produce a comeback. For a few moments anyway.

"I guess that one lucked out, hasn't she?" she finally says, looking in the direction of the library.

"Don't let Rumple hear this from me, but they do make an adorable couple", Belle admits. "It's a shame they have to hide it because of what happened with Regina."

"Ugh, don't even remind me of that mess", says Ruby with a shake of her head. "It's heartbreaking watching Robin try to put on a happy face every time he comes in here, alone or with Marian."

"I know..." Belle's eyes are suddenly filled with sadness. "The only times he seems truly happy these days is when he's alone with Roland."

"Yeah, but who can  _not_  be happy with that little cutie around?" Ruby's fondness for the child is evident as her expression changes to a smile. She comes around the counter to sit beside her friend, taking advantage of the fact that the diner's empty and this isn't likely to change for the next half-hour or so. "He doesn't even need to do anything, he's there and everything is okay in the world!"

"Oh, so true", Belle agrees, "but you know, now that I think about it...he does seem to be doing a lot better lately!"

"Who? Robin?"

"Yes! Pay attention...his happy face doesn't seem so forced anymore!"

"Huh...you don't think he and Reg-"

At this very moment Granny comes out from the pantry and, just like her granddaughter a few minutes before her, seems confused to see Belle at this early hour.

"Child, what are you doing here? This isn't your lunch time! Oh...let me guess: the sheriff and the pirate?"

"Yup" she says, popping the p.

"Okay then", Granny's already disappearing through the kitchen door when she yells out, "burger and fries coming right up!"


	3. Chapter 3

"So wait...you're telling me this town has a whole fair to celebrate  _coal_  being exchanged for  _candles_? And that's every year? I'll tell you, each time I think I may have the grasp of this world you lot throw something even odder at me!"

Killian can't help but shake his head in confusion over what Miner's Day entails. He, Emma and Henry are at the loft waiting for Charming and Snow to get the baby ready to go outside, and though he was determined to wrap his head around the origins of the festivities before they got there, now he's not so sure that's even possible.

"Well, what you have to understand, Killian", begins Snow, coming out of the nursery with Neal in her arms, "is that the nuns...uh..the nuns, and then the miners...they exchanged that stuff...only one day a year? Wow, this  _really_  doesn't make any sense, does it?"

"I know", Henry wonders out loud, "it's just like some weird byproduct of the curse!"

"See, mate?" There's Charming with the pat on his back. "Really nothing to figure out - literally."

"It's like I told you", Emma cuts in, "just a day for everyone to gather around the square, have something to eat and buy some candles!"

"As opposed to gathering around the diner and having something to eat like we do every bloody day?"

"Yeah", she grins in response. "See, you're getting this already!"

Smiling at each other like idiots, they both miss Henry's epic eyeroll. His grandparents don't, though.

They leave for the fair after a few moments and get to the town square at around four in the afternoon. Time flies, and next thing they know it's nightfall. Because of what happened last time with Leroy and the nuns, it was decided to add the tradition of turning off the electricity and lighting the candles everyone's bought until they burn out, so when the last traces of sun fade away everyone starts getting their lighters and matchboxes. Emma thinks of her mother telling her that story and turns to Killian.

"Hey! I wanna see something and I want you to see it too. Follow me."

He does, of course, like he always has and always will. They end up at the window at the top of the clock tower, from where they can see the hundreds of tiny flames together forming a beautiful tableau.

"Isn't it amazing?" She's looking down at the square like a child, eyes full of wonder.

"Yes...bloody gorgeous."

He isn't looking at the lights.

"Oh, stop, all people have to do to see us is look up!"

"Then we move away from the window and enjoy the privacy of the room!"

He's the first one to reach the back wall and sit on the floor, and she falls into his arms. They're enjoying just being together, in the shadows, him nibbling her earlobe. After a while, he gets an idea of his own.

"Swan, do you have your candles?"

"Yeah, right here in the bag" she answers, already reaching out for them to give it to him.

He gets a lighter from his coat and is getting ready to use it on the candles when she frowns.

"Since when do you have a lighter? You don't smoke!"

"I just figured there could come a time when it would be useful to have one and master its use, so I got one."

"For the next time we need to trap a demon shadow and you can prove you're the manliest man who's ever lived?" Emma teased sarcastically with an unimpressed eyebrow raise.  _Touché_.

"No, spoilsport!" He pretends to be offended while getting up, placing all five of Emma's candle's around them in a semicircle and lighting them. He then goes back to his spot right behind her for his triumphant finish. "For this!"

Instead of just leaning against him, she turns around for them to snuggle.

"It's beautiful, thank you!" She's so touched she chooses not to mention she could have lit the candles herself with magic. "You know we can't stay here much longer though, right? My parents are probably looking for us already!"

"Oh, c'mon, Swan, your mother can take half an hour away from you!"

"Oh  _she_  can. I bet it's my dad who's searching frantically for his  _mate_."

"Well, as fond as I am of dear ol' Dave", he starts teasingly, only to soften his voice and look at her with complete honesty, "maybe someone should let him know my heart belongs to someone else."

A whispered  _Yeah?_  is all Emma finds in herself to say to avoid being overcome by emotion. Likewise, he only manages to nod before their lips crash together and they just stay there,  _consuming_  each other. After a second - or a lifetime, they can't really tell - a woman's voice breaks their spell.

"What the hell is this? Hook? Is that Emma?"

They roll off each other so fast once they hear Regina that they knock out all of the candles, and if it isn't for the mayor's quick magical reflexes a real tragedy would certainly follow. The three stand still for a while, five candles suspended in the air dripping wax and creating a barrier between the woman and the couple.

"You  _idiots_!" No wonder it's Regina who finally breaks the silence, magically putting out the candles and swooshing them to a corner. "What are you doing here? And creating a fire hazard?"

Emma and Killian are both so spooked from what just happened with the flames as well as Regina's presence that they can't find it in themselves to say anything. After her adrenaline rush has passed, the queen calms down and softens her expression and voice.

"And how long have you two been together? The hospital, right, I bet since the hospital. No wonder you acted so weird when I referred to him as your boyfriend that time!"

Apparently a small tease from the queen is enough for Emma to come out of her stupor. "I did  _not_  act weird, it simply took me a while to even realize what you were talking about because it was not true! And what hospital, what are you even talking about?"

"When he he was run over by Greg Mandell", Regina clarifies nonchalantly, as if it should be obvious.

"Excuse me?" Emma's seething, yet Regina won't budge.

"Oh, c'mon! You were supposed to have left the Enchanted Forest on the heels of mutual betrayals and the  _first_  thing you do when you get to the hospital is make sure he's safe from Gold?"

"I'M THE SHERIFF, FACILITATING MURDER IS THE  _OPPOSITE_  MY JOB!" Emma is screaming and the whole town may as well be listening, but she's mad as hell and she doesn't care.

"Sure, but" starts Regina, scrunching her face for extra sarcasm, "were the night visits really necessary?"

"OH MY GOD, I WAS TRYING TO GET INFORMATION ON CORA! AGAIN, THAT'S WHAT SHERIFFS DO! AND IT WAS ONLY  _ONE TIME_!"

"Only he wasn't even working with my mother at the time." Regina is the opposite of Emma during this whole exchange: calm, collected and confident. Inside, though, she's giggling to herself that the sheriff took the bait so easily.

Emma's still angry, but she lowers her voice because what she's about to answer isn't just her being defensive; it's the truth. "I didn't know that!"

At this point, Killian is still on the floor, torso half-raised by his elbows, silently watching the scene with one eyebrow raised and a smirk, like the women are putting up a very amusing play for his benefit. Then Regina turns to him.

"Did she ever tell you she only agreed to go to New York with Gold to find his son because he threatened to kill you if she didn't?"

Now he's up on his feet, but the raised eyebrow and the smirk have only intensified.

"Really?"

 _OH NO, YOU DON'T._  Emma feels like she's going to explode, and moves to a spot from where she can face both Killian and Regina.

"Okay", she starts, breathing heavily so she can calm herself down and get some control over the situation, if that's even possible. "First of all, that is such a load of crap! Second of all, how could you even know that, Regina? You weren't there! Actually", she frowns in confusion, "how do you know any of this? You weren't there for most of it!"

"You're not the only person with friends in this town, Miss Swan", Regina remarks snidely, "or  _acquaintances_..."

With the realization of what he's just been told, Killian is startled and invades the conversation in full. "Wait. Wait. Did the  _crocodile_  himself tell you about this New York business?"

"Bingo!" Emma's surprised the triumphant smile that follows the brunette's answer doesn't make her angrier; instead she just looks down on the floor and sighs in defeat, not even noticing the expression of wonder in Killian's face.

"Oh, okay, this is..." He moves towards her with his arms open, only for her to gently slap his hand away from her.

"Don't touch me", she says in a tone that's really more annoyed than angry, drowned in her thoughts and oblivious to the fact that he hasn't been teasing her for a while.

"Don't be like that, love, I'm just really happy to realize this was never one-sided!"

"Well, it is one-sided  _now_!" He knows it's just a knee-jerk reaction, so he takes a step back and leaves her alone for the time being. She regrets snapping at him the second the words leave her mouth because really, this entire situation is so ridiculous and he's just being  _sickeningly_  sweet, but Regina is still there and wait, isn't she the entire reason they'd been keeping their relationship a secret? Why isn't she throwing fireballs at them for being happy after bringing her true love's supposedly dead wife back from the past?

"You know, Regina", she starts with newfound resolve, "you seem awfully chipper about catching the two of us together after what you've told me at the diner and the accusatory looks you've been throwing at me ever since. Gotta say, I'm surprised."

"Oh!" The implications of Emma's words and tone suddenly wash all over Regina. "You've been hiding...because of me?"

"Well...I mean, we had  _just_  started this" - hearing those words, Killian felt the confidence to move forward and grab her hand without expecting any rejection, smiling when she intertwines her fingers with his - "and I thought it might not have been the nicest thing to, you know, be a constant reminder of-"

She can't even finish the sentence. Regina seems to be dealing with this whole thing surprisingly well, but Emma knows by experience that anything is capable of triggering her fury.

"...of everything I'd lost." Regina's expression is anything but furious - she actually looks touched. "That's one of the nicest things anyone's ever done for me."

Emma has no idea how to respond to this, so she just smiles awkwardly and squeezes Killian's hand.

After a few excruciatingly long moments, a man's voice breaks the tension from the bottom of the stairs below. "Regina? Weren't you supposed to call me? What's going on?"

It's only when the man's head pops in the room and Regina looks sheepishly over her shoulder at him that Emma fully understands  _everything_.

"ROBIN? I can't believe you, how could you cheat-"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, hold on, Emma" he says, putting one hand in front of him in a defensive stance and the other one on the small of Regina's back, "nobody's cheating on anybody! And what are  _you_  doing here?"

This is, of course, the moment Killian decides to tip his head to the side from behind Emma's, letting go of her hand and waving his fingers at the archer with a cheeky smile. That gets Regina to laugh again, as does Robin. Emma, however, only gives him a death glare.

"Really?"

"I'm sorry, love, it was just too good a set up", says Killian with a chuckle, which he quickly suppresses when Emma's expression doesn't soften. "Hey, I'm really and truly sorry! I just...I didn't think you were still so mad!"

The concern in his eyes melt Emma's heart because really, it was never him or even Regina that angered her in the first place. It was the realization that her own walls and stubbornness had prevented her from letting happiness in so much sooner than she had. And then there's this man that all the while was trying to make it through to her and instead of thinking about it bitterly as lost time is actually  _happy_  because it was always mutual, he didn't just wear her down - she always loved him right back. And boy, was that true.

"Oh, come here, you idiot!" She pulls him in in a kiss and once again it's like they're transported to a world of their own. Once again, Robin's voice brings them back to reality.

"Okay, so, um, for the sake of full disclosure, well, I tried to make it work with Marian, but she could see right away that there was something wrong, that I wasn't happy. So after a while we had an honest talk and decided it would be best to part ways. She's staying in the cottage until we figure out how to break the news to our boy, but that's it."

"Yes", Regina cuts in, "so you can stop hiding. As I guess we can all agree this isn't yet the ideal situation, but it's for Roland's sake. I'm fine."

The two women smile sincerely at each other, full of understanding between them. Suddenly realizing how much time had passed since she and Killian had first arrived at the clock tower and the reason Regina had gotten there and walked in on them in the first place, Emma breaks eye contact with the brunette and turns to her pirate.

"Hey, Killian, my father has probably already organized a search party for us, we should go."

He smiles. He knows exactly what she's doing. "As you wish, milady!" Then he turns to the couple they're about to leave. "Mate. Your Majesty."

"We'll see you guys around" says Emma, already climbing down the spiral staircase leading to the ground floor of the building. "Enjoy!"

Robin and Regina say "Bye!" in unison and Emma and Killian can hear them start laughing from the floor below, certainly realizing the blonde's intention was to leave them alone.

As they make way to the door to leave, Emma moves from Killian's left to his right side, taking his hand. He freezes for a tiny moment, then relaxes when she captures his eyes with nothing but resolve in her own.

"Are you sure?" As always, he gives her space to back out until the last moment. He knows he should be used to her going through with whatever is the next step in their relationship by now, but he also knows she appreciates the gesture. "Just like that?"

"Yeah", she answers nonchalantly, as if it isn't a huge step for her - for them. "Let 'em talk. I'm all raged out after that little episode up there anyway."

That earns her a chuckle. "I'll say. For the decade, at least!"

Pretending he's just offended her terribly, she raises her voice jokingly. "Oh, you just push me, buddy!"

They're laughing as they walk through the square but Emma frowns as absolutely nobody seems to give another thought about her walking hand in hand with Killian in front of the whole town, as if it's old news. She feels better once Ruby spots them and screams "I KNEW IT!" from the top of her lungs.

The waitress watches the sheriff walk away with quite the satisfied expression and doesn't have the heart to tell her the truth - that she always knew about her and her pirate, as well as the rest of the town. Them making their relationship official only meant that the suspicions she raised when talking to Belle in the diner a few weeks ago were right, and soon Robin and Regina would also walk around Storybrooke hand in hand. Or something less cheesy.


End file.
